The main agenda item was to review Proposed Change Form (PCF) 2043, which introduces an additional prescriptive compliance path for Tier 2 energy efficiency in Section 9.36 of the National Building Code. 

The group discussed the problem statement: currently, only performance and prescriptive trade-off compliance paths exist for Tier 2, and the lack of compliance options for code users could push them to more complex modelling approaches. The justification for the change is that a prescriptive path offers a simpler, acceptable solution for achieving the required energy performance, specifically a 10% reduction in energy consumption for buildings over 300 cubic meters. 

The most significant changes when compared to Tier 1 are proposed for fenestration (windows and doors), which, according to Codes Canada, are seen as a key lever for achieving Tier 2 targets. Although the prescriptive “packages” are the simplest to navigate, they are the least cost-effective.

For more information, please contact alex.bols@chba.ca